[Anchor]

U.S. President Donald Trump has signaled his intention to scrap the memorandum of understanding on ending hostilities with Iran, while also warning of airstrikes against the country for the second consecutive day. As both sides continue to engage in armed conflict over control of the Strait of Hormuz, the situation in the Middle East is facing another crisis.

Gwak Sang-eun reports.

[Reporter]

President Trump, currently visiting Türkiye to attend the NATO summit, stated that he believes the cease-fire with Iran is over.

[Donald Trump / U.S. President: I think it's over. I don't want to deal with them anymore. They are human scum.]

While expressing frustration that negotiations are a waste of time because Iran changes its stance outside the negotiating table even after agreeing to abandon nuclear weapons, he also revealed that he has not yet reached a consensus with his negotiating team.

[Donald Trump / U.S. President: From my perspective, it's over. I will talk to my negotiating team. Witkoff and Kushner want to negotiate, and they are good people. But from my perspective, dealing with Iran is a waste of time. They are liars.]

After three merchant vessels, including a Qatari LNG carrier and a Saudi Arabian oil tanker, were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz on July 6 and 7, the U.S. Central Command struck over 80 targets, including air defense systems and radar stations in coastal cities and islands in southern Iran, in the early hours of July 8 (local time).

The U.S. Department of the Treasury revoked the general license for Iranian oil sales, which had been granted for 60 days under the memorandum of understanding, just 15 days after it was issued.

Iran retaliated by claiming it had struck 85 locations, including U.S. military facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain, and shot down one U.S. MQ-9 drone.

[Iranian State Media: We strongly condemn the actions of the United States, and the U.S. government must be held responsible for all consequences resulting from its breach of promises.]

With Trump's remarks on scrapping the cease-fire amidst armed clashes over control of the Strait of Hormuz, the follow-up working-level negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, which were scheduled to resume after the funeral of Khamenei, have been thrown into uncertainty.

(Video Editing: Park Chun-bae)